Method of increasing seafood production in the barren ocean

ABSTRACT

A method of increasing seafood production in the oceans comprises testing the water at the surface of the ocean in order to determine the nutrients that are missing, applying to the surface of the ocean a first fertilizer that comprises an iron chelate, and harvesting the increased production of seafood that results. The method may further comprise applying a microorganism that fixes nitrogen such as phytoplankton, applying additional fertilizers, and seeding the ocean with fish. Each fertilizer releases the nutrient(s) over time in the photic zone and in a form that does not precipitate before use by the phytoplankton.

Priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) is claimed based upon application Ser.No. 60/033,018 filed Dec. 17, 1996.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The field of the invention is the production of seafood.

The earliest history of the human race shows us as hunter-gatherers, whotook what the land produced for our own purposes. These hunter-gathererswere part of the natural scene rather than changing the natural scenefor their own purposes. About 7,000 to 8,000 years ago in the MiddleEast, this changed with the domestication of wild animals, such as thecow, pig, goat, sheep and dog. At that point, our ancestors beganherding domestic animals to the best pastures with changing seasons andconditions. Our ancestors continued to hunt and gather food, but foundherding more productive. This trend continued with the domestication ofthe horse in the arid regions of Western Asia.

Then about 5,500 years ago, a new invention swept the then-civilizedworld. This invention was the mold-board plow, which increased theproductivity of a farmer by about a factor of seven. It also changed theway we looked at the land, from passive acceptance to activeintervention. This change resulted in the planting of favorite crops,rather than accepting what had always grown there. Our ancestors alsobegan to add water and nutrients to the soil, to further increaseproductivity.

These transitions were not always smooth or without controversy. Formany years, there was a free range in the Western states of the UnitedStates of America. At that time, some argued strongly against fences,roads, houses, farms and railroads. They argued that cities would followsuch encroachments on the free range, and they were right.

While such transitions have progressed considerably on the landresulting in an increase in output of about two thousand times, theyhave hardly begun on the oceans which cover almost three fourths of theearth's surface. A similar return in the increased productivity of theoceans may be achieved by similar changes.

The fishermen and the fisherwomen of the world have known for many yearsthat there is a great variation in the productivity of the differentareas of the oceans and other bodies of water. Recently, the extent ofthis variation has been measured and the reasons for it determined. Itis now known that about 60% of all life in the ocean arises from 2% ofthe ocean surface. Thus, the ocean may be considered as a vast barrendesert with only a few verdant zones where life abounds. These verdantzones are easy to spot. For most of the ocean surface, you can see about150 to 300 feet (about 46 to 91 meters) through the water, as you cansee in the Gulf Stream. In contrast, you can see only a few feet throughthe water in the productive zones of the oceans because the livingmatter in the water is so dense. This is the case in the naturalupwelling off the coast of Peru.

Samples have been taken from these productive zones, and from otherareas of the ocean. The difference has been determined. The productivezones of the ocean are rich in iron, phosphorus, nitrogen and traceminerals, while the rest of the ocean is missing one or more of theseelements. These fertilizing minerals are required in order to obtain themaximum production of seafood from a given area in the ocean. There isconsiderable variance in the nutrients present in different zones of theocean surface, and samples must be taken and analyzed in order toascertain the exact level of nutrients required to obtain theproductivity of the Peruvian upwelling.

The oceans differ from the land in several regards: (1) there is never adrought in the oceans; (2) the oceans move; and (3) the oceans mix bothvertically and horizontally. The first difference means that the oceansneed only minor constituents in order to achieve improved productivity.The second difference means that the fertilization may be carried out ata location that is quite distant from the location where the harvestingof seafood is carried out. The third difference means that thefertilization must be carried out on a large scale, or the results ofthe fertilization may be impossible to find.

Methods of increasing seafood production in the ocean are disclosed byU.S. Pat. Nos. 5,433,173 and 5,535,701, which are hereby incorporated byreference.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A method of improved production of seafood in the open ocean is achievedby (1) testing the water at the ocean surface in order to determine thenutrients that are missing or are in too low concentration, (2) using afertilizer that releases an appropriate amount these nutrients over timeand in a form that remains available to the phytoplankton (for example,the nutrients should not leave the photic zone by precipitation to anysubstantial extent) to fertilize the ocean, (3) seeding the fertilizedocean with favored phytoplankton and fish and (4), harvesting theseafood that is produced by the fertilization. The testing may becarried out by any of a number of methods that are known to one ofordinary skill in the art, in order to ascertain the nutrients that aremissing to a significant extent from the water. A nutrient is missing toa significant extent, if the production of seafood would be reduced to asignificant extent by the level of the nutrient in the water. Anappropriate amount of a missing nutrient is an amount to raise theconcentration of the nutrient at the ocean surface so that theproduction of seafood is no longer reduced to a significant extent bythe concentration of the nutrient.

The fertilization of the barren ocean to increase seafood production maybe carried out with a fertilizer system that comprises one or morefertilizers. If the ocean water is missing nitrates, then thefertilizers should comprise nitrogen-fixing microorganisms, such as bluegreen algae and phytoplankton (such as Trichodesmium) which fix nitrogenin the open ocean, and sufficient nutrients to cause the bloom of thesemicroorganisms should these microorganisms be missing or be in too low aconcentration. The addition of iron may be the only nutrient required tocause blue green algae and phytoplankton (such as Trichodesmium) tobloom and to fix nitrogen but iron must be added in a form that protectsthe iron from reaction with the ocean water so that the iron does notprecipitate but remains in the photic zone where it can fertilize theocean plant life. This can best be done by adding iron in a form of achelate. If needed, the chelate may be added in slow release pellets torelease the iron slowly into the ocean water.

The fertilizer system should provide the other (non-nitrate andnon-iron) nutrients that are missing from the ocean water. Since thesenutrients, principally phosphate, may react with the iron chelate if theconcentrations of the phosphate and the iron chelate in the ocean waterare both high, these other nutrients should also preferably be added tothe ocean water in the form of slow release pellets, or in the case ofphosphoric acid, a dilute solution may be used. These slow releasepellets should release each fertilizing element into the photic zone ina form that does not precipitate or otherwise remove these elements fromthe photic zone. This can be done by applying the phosphate and/or ironfertilizer separately from the other nutrient fertilizer, such as fromopposite sides of a large boat, or from companion boats.

The fertilizer pellets are compounded to achieve a density of less thanseawater so that they float, releasing their fertilizing elements at ornear the ocean surface. This can be done by attaching the fertilizingelements to a float material such as glass or ceramic bubbles, andplastic foam, or by introducing gas bubbles into the fertilizer pelletsduring manufacture. The fertilizer pellets may also comprise a bindersuch as plastic, wax, high molecular-weight starch or a combinationthereof, which provides the timed release of the fertilizing elements tothe ocean water.

Many areas of the ocean that may be suitable for increasing seafoodproduction by this method do not have indigenous fish populations thatcan prosper from the increased plant life produced. Therefore, it may beuseful to seed the fertilized ocean with selected fish species such asfilter feeders that can eat the phytoplankton and zooplankton produced.The harvesting of these seeded fish stocks and other pelagic andmigratory fish attracted to the fertilized ocean area may be carried outat the point of application of the fertilizer system, but at a latertime, or when ocean currents are involved, the harvesting may be carriedout at a point downstream of where the fertilizers are applied, anddownstream of where any seeding occurs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Ocean fertilization according to the present invention would greatlyincrease the productivity of seafood from the oceans. (The term "oceans"also includes seas, bays and other large bodies of water). For example,ocean fertilization along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the UnitedStates could increase the productivity off these coasts up the levelthat occurs naturally off the coast of Peru. This could increase theproductivity of seafood along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of theUnited States by a factor of 30 or more, and thereby provide thousandsof new jobs and revitalize a fishing industry that is in decline in someareas of the United States, while at the same time generating a highquality protein food for both domestic consumption and export. Oceanfertilization could also increase the fish catch off the coasts of othercountries with the same benefits.

The ocean fertilization could take place within national waters, therebyassuring that the benefits of the increased production of seafood wouldinure to the benefit of the fishing industry of the country that engagesin the ocean fertilization. For example, all of the fertilization by theUnited States could take place within the 200 mile (about 323 kilometer)limit, so that essentially all of the impact would be within U.S.waters.

The basic parameter of ocean fertilization is that about 1 pound (about0.45 kilogram) of fertilizer produces about 2 to 10 tons (about 1.8 to9.1 metric tons) of biomass in the ocean. A conservative estimate wouldbe that a ton (about 0.9 metric ton) would produce about 4,000 tons(about 3,600 metric tons) of biomass in the ocean.

The productivity per surface area should be higher in the fertilizedocean, as compared to the fertilized land. Sugar cane cultivationcurrently produces about 40 tons per acre (about 36 metric tons per 0.4hectare) per year. If the same rate of production is achieved in oceanfertilization, this would be about 25,600 tons per square mile (about23,300 metric tons per 2.6 square kilometers) per year.

On the land, fertilization is almost always accompanied by planting. Inthe ocean, the fertilization may be combined with the introduction ofalgae, egg masses and other organisms, including juvenile fish fromhatcheries. This may further increase the production of seafood from theocean.

On the land, the planting and fertilization are usually carried out inthe spring, and the harvesting is usually carried out in the fall. Inocean farming, the amount of time between fertilization and harvestingdepends on a number of factors. When fertilizing elements are availablethe phytoplankton in the tropical ocean increases by a factor of two tofour each day. Then zooplankton graze on the phytoplankton, the baitfish eat the zooplankton and phytoplankton, and on up the food chain tothe large mammals and fish. Off the coasts of the United States, themost significant currents are the Gulf Stream and the Japanese current.Each of these flow at about 4 miles per hour (about 6.4 kilometers perhour). Thus, fertilization at one location of the ocean surface ineither of these currents, will produce results for harvesting at anotherlocation downstream. A delay time of about four days would be about 400miles (about 645 kilometers) at about 4 miles per hour (about 6.4kilometers per hour). For the Gulf Stream, this means that fertilizationoff of Key West, Fla., would result in improved fishing off of northFlorida, with the larger fish coming in off the coasts of Georgia, SouthCarolina, North Carolina and Virginia. The improved fishing couldcontinue for many miles of the Gulf Stream depending on how thefertilization was carried out.

Testing may determine that ocean fertilization in the Gulf Stream may becarried out even earlier, such as off the west coast of Florida, so thatthe phytoplankton bloom is already underway by the time the Gulf Streamrounds Key West, Florida. This would allow more time to harvest thelarger fish off the East Coast of the United States before the GulfStream veers east out of the national waters of the United States.

In the Gulf Stream, the fertilizer is expected to consist primarily ofiron with some phosphates and some nitrogen fixing microorganisms, inorder to bring the nutrient content up to the level of the Peruvianupwelling. The ocean fertilization should be monitored by testingbecause the Gulf Stream is complex with swirls and eddies along thecoast, and there are the effects of storms, tides and occasionalhurricanes. However, the result of ocean fertilization is almostcertainly that phytoplankton will grow, and the rest will follow.

Ocean fertilization is effective only in the upper level of the ocean,and preferably in the top about 100 feet (about 30 meters) of the ocean.Therefore the preferred method of ocean fertilization will be to producea fertilizer pellet that floats with a density less than seawater, andpreferably about 0.9 times that of seawater. This can be accomplished byusing low density materials in the formulation like waxes, by latchingthe fertilizer to a float material such as glass or ceramic bubbles, andplastic foam, or, preferably, by including gas bubbles in the form ofceramic balloons or gas bubbles in a plastic matrix in the fertilizerpellet. Where the mixing layer is shallow, it may be possible todisperse soluble fertilizers, such as phosphoric acid, directly into thewake of the boat, and still keep the fertilizer in the photic zone.

The fertilizer will preferably be in a form that will dissolve in thesurface water over a period of several days or perhaps as long as twoweeks. Therefore, a preferred method of ocean fertilization will includethe mixture of the fertilizer with a binder such as a high molecularweight starch, a wax or a plastic matrix such as cellulose acetate so asto produce a fertilizer pellet that releases the fertilizing elementsslowly in ocean water. This will keep the concentrations of thefertilizing elements low so they will not react with each other or withthe ocean water, forming precipitates and leaving the photic zone.

This is especially important in the case of iron fertilization. Iron canbe protected from reaction with the ocean water by adding it to theocean in the form of a chelate. The chelate may include ethylene-diaminetetraaceticacid (EDTA), lignins and many others. Iron lignins can formprecipitates with monoamonium phosphate (MAP) in seawater atconcentrations of each, iron and phosphorous, greater than about twoparts per million (sixteen parts per million MAP and 18 parts permillion iron lignin). These concentrations are not a problem as long asthe two fertilizing elements are dispensed separately, as from oppositesides of a boat, or from separate boats. The preferable chelates mayinclude lignin acid sulfonate.

The fertilizing elements are used up in the verdant ocean water in about20 days. Therefore, continuous additions of fertilizer will be requiredto maintain the desired ocean productivity.

The thus fertilized ocean may be seeded with desirable fish, includingfilter feeders such as anchovetta, menhaden and sardines. At a latertime special inducements beyond the large availability of bait fish maybe included, bringing in higher-value fish such as tuna, swordfish anddolphin.

The amounts of iron, phosphorous and other fertilizing elements added tothe ocean will depend on the requirements to increase the production ofseafood. The initial method of ocean fertilization should be designed tobring the relevant portion of the ocean surface to the nutrientcomposition of the ocean surface in the Peruvian upwelling, because ofthe known production of seafood there. The method of ocean fertilizationwill preferably include additional testing and studies of the dynamicsof seafood growth under the conditions of fertilization, so that furthermodifications and improvements in the composition of the fertilizer andthe method of ocean fertilization can be achieved.

The ocean fertilization of about 53,000 square miles (about 140,000square kilometers) at a rate of removing about 1,340 million tons (about1,220 million metric tons) of carbon dioxide (CO₂) would initiallyrequire about 350,000tons (about 322,000 metric tons) per year offertilizer. This is about 1,000 tons (about 900 metric tons) per day for350 days per year. If the fertilizer applied to the ocean costs about$400 per ton (about 0.9 metric ton), then the cost is about $140,000,000per year. The cost of ocean fertilization preferably also includes thecost of monitoring, testing and reporting, so as to optimize the methodof ocean fertilization, including the optimization of the composition ofthe fertilizer, the application rate and the location of application.

The present method of improved production of seafood would have asignificant impact. The production of 50,000,000tons (about 45,000,000metric tons) per year of additional seafood along one coast of theUnited States would produce a $40,000,000,000 industry if the value ofthe seafood averages $0.40 per pound (0.45 kilograms). This would create800,000 new jobs if there was one job for each $50,000 in sales peryear.

The description above is based on the Gulf Stream which flows near thelargest centers of population of the United States and has an existingfishing industry, because the data was readily available. However, thepresent method of improved production of seafood is applicable to otherareas well. Modifications of the method will be required depending onthe location. For example, the present method is applicable to theisland nations of the equatorial Pacific Ocean as well. These nationshave very large ocean areas within their Exclusive Economic Zones whichcould be utilized for this purpose.

Thus, the present method allows for variation, including variation inthe composition of the fertilizer, as well as the location and nature ofthe application of fertilizer, depending on the area of the ocean thatis being fertilized.

The present method of ocean fertilization could utilize ships that wouldbe at sea for about 120 days, and have the capacity to carry about120,000 tons (about 110,000 metric tons) of fertilizer. The ships wouldbe provided with pumps to mix the fertilizer with the seawater, anddisperses the mixture into the ocean. Each ship could be provided with20 3 pumps of 2,500 horsepower each, in order to spray a mixture of 90%seawater and 10% fertilizer over the stern. Each ship would need to havea capacity of about 600,000 Bbls (about 90,000 kiloliters), which is amedium size tanker.

The fertilizer to be used in the present method of production of seafoodwill have a number of specifications, such as the rate of release of thefertilizing elements to the ocean water, the chemical form of thefertilizing elements to assure that they remain available to the oceanplant life (phytoplankton), and the separation of the fertilizingelements into individual pellets that are introduced into the ocean somedistance apart. Such pellets should have a density of less than seawaterso they will gradually release their fertilizing elements at or near theocean surface.

The seeding of the present method of production of seafood willpreferable include seeding with nitrogen-fixing phytoplankton in thebroadcast stream of fertilizer pellets. Seeding with desirable fish willalso be important since filter feeder fish will generally not be presentin the barren open ocean water prior to fertilization. Seeding withother higher value fish may also be practiced in order to maximize theeconomic return from the venture.

Variations of the invention may be envisioned by those skilled in theart and the invention is to be limited solely by the claims appendedhereto.

I claim:
 1. A method of increasing seafood production in the open oceancomprising the following steps:(1) testing an area of the surface of theopen ocean, in order to determine a first nutrient that is missing to asignificant extent and a second nutrient that is missing to asignificant extent; and (2) applying separately a first fertilizer whichcomprises said first missing nutrient and a second fertilizer whichcomprises said second missing nutrient, to fertilize said area of thesurface of the open ocean with an appropriate amount of said firstmissing nutrient and an appropriate amount of said second missingnutrient, wherein said first fertilizer comprises an iron chelate, andsaid first fertilizer releases said first missing nutrient in a formthat does not precipitate to any substantial extent; and (3) harvestingat least a portion of the increased production of seafood that resultsfrom said fertilization of said open ocean.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein said chelate comprises a lignin.
 3. The method of claim 2,wherein said chelate comprises lignin acid sulfonate.
 4. The method ofclaim 1, wherein said second fertilizer releases said second missingnutrient in a form that does not precipitate to any substantial extent,and said second fertilizer does not comprise iron.
 5. The method ofclaim 4, wherein at least one microorganism that fixes nitrogen, isapplied with at least one of said fertilizers.
 6. The method of claim 5,wherein said microorganism comprises at least one member selected fromthe group consisting of blue green algae and phytoplankton.
 7. Themethod of claim 4, wherein said second fertilizer comprises phosphate.8. The method of claim 4, wherein said second fertilizer comprises traceminerals.
 9. The method of claim 4, wherein said second fertilizer is inthe form of pellets, and said pellets comprise a float material selectedfrom gas bubbles or low density materials, and said pellets furthercomprise a binder selected from plastic, wax, high molecular weightstarch, or a combination thereof.
 10. The method of claim 1, whereinsaid step (3) is preceded by the step of seeding the surface of theocean with at least one species of fish.
 11. A method of oceanfertilization comprising the following step: separately applying a firstfertilizer to fertilize the surface of the open ocean with a firstnutrient and a second fertilizer to fertilize the surface of the openocean with a second nutrient, wherein said first fertilizer comprises aniron chelate, and said first fertilizer releases said iron in a formthat does not precipitate to any substantial extent.
 12. The method ofclaim 11, wherein said chelate comprises lignin.
 13. The method of claim12, wherein said chelate comprises lignin acid sulfonate.
 14. The methodof claim 11, wherein said second fertilizer releases said secondnutrient in a form that does not precipitate to any substantial extent,and said second fertilizer does not comprise iron.
 15. The method ofclaim 14, wherein at least one microorganism that fixes nitrogen, isapplied with at least one of said fertilizers.
 16. The method of claim15, wherein said microorganism comprises at least one member selectedfrom the group consisting of blue green algae and phytoplankton.
 17. Themethod of claim 14, wherein said second fertilizer comprises phosphate.18. The method of claim 14, wherein said second fertilizer comprisestrace minerals.
 19. The method of claim 14, wherein said secondfertilizer is in the form of pellets, and said pellets comprise a floatmaterial selected from gas bubbles or low density materials, and saidpellets further comprise a binder selected from plastic, wax, highmolecular weight starch, or a combination thereof.
 20. The method ofclaim 11, further comprising the step of seeding the surface of theocean with at least one species of fish.